GEAR UP Mississippi student Jordan Gilmore, a rising senior at Jim Hill High School, is one of only six recipients nationwide of the 2007 GEAR UP College Entrance Exam Scholarships. The $2,500 scholarships are awarded annually to students who demonstrate the greatest improvement in their academic preparation for college as evidenced by scores on college entrance exams and other academic achievements.

The scholarship program, which is sponsored by Peterson’s, a Nelnet company, in collaboration with the National Council for Community and Education Partnership (NCCEP), requires students to undergo a rigorous application and review process.

Gilmore has been actively involved with GEAR UP Mississippi since seventh grade, and plans to pursue a college education after graduating from high school next year.

College will prepare me for the dramas and obstacles that I will come across in life, giving me the experience and “know how” to deal with those issues,” Gilmore wrote in his scholarship application essay. “With the help of GEAR UP I have had the opportunity to view colleges around the state of Mississippi and this has assisted me to realize what I look for in a college.”

In addition to the scholarship, Gilmore was also awarded an expense-paid trip to the NCCEP/GEAR UP national conference in San Francisco, July 22-25, where he received the award.

“Jordan is an outstanding student who is goal-oriented and has set high expectations for himself,” said Lashanda Colbert, Director of Special Projects at GEAR UP Mississippi. “His quest to become an international businessman has pushed him to excel on the ACT with a score of 28, and to pursue scholarships that will help in funding his education.”

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a federally funded program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in college. Currently, over 5,600 rising seniors from 47 high schools are involved in GEAR UP Mississippi and have been since the seventh grade.

GEAR UP operates under the auspices of the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, which governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.